Fuse



J. H. WOODBERRY Sept. 23 1924.1

FUSE

Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED vSTATES 1,509,329 PAENT -FFHCE.

JOHN I-I. WOODBERRY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA.

FUSE.

Application filed October 22, 1919. Serial No. 332,564.

(FILED UNDER THE ACT 0F MARCH 3, 1883, 22 STAT. L., 625.)

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN H. lVooDBnRRY, a citizen of the United States,stationedat lNashington, District of Columbia, have 'invented anImprovement in Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government, or any ofits officers or employes in prosecution of work for the Government, orby any other person in the United States, without payment of anyro-yalty thereon.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a construction offuse in which the tiring-pin-driving spring is compressible upon impactof the projectile carrying the fuse.

The accompanying drawing disclosesan exemplary embodiment of theunderlying principles of the invent-ion. Briefly described zt n n Figure1 is a view in longitudinal axial section o-f a fuse embodying myimprovements, showing the normal position of the parts thereof;

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing the position the parts assume uponimpact;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view, in side elevation, of thetiring-pm carrier or housing.

Referring, now, in detail to the drawin dy invention is shown applied'tothe type o-f fuse (shown in my copending application filed September 20,19,19, Ser. No. 325,277) embodying a longitudinally movable plunger 1,carrying, at opposite ends thereof, a p-rimer 2 and a detonator 3. Theplunger is normally maintained iii safety or unarmed position bysuitable means, such as spring-pressed loclringebolts 4, which arecentrifugally movable to release the plunger in a manner well known inthe art. Upon impact, the plunger, by its inertia, moves toward thetiring-pin.

5. designates a tubular firing-pin housing carrying' a head 6, andprovided with diametrically oppositely disposed, longitudinallyextending slots 7 7, having lateral offset portions, or curvedterminals, 12, for a purpose presently appearing. b

Movable in said housing 5 is a iring-pin, comprising, in this instance,a shank o r stem 8, a pointed extremity 9, and a circumferentialenlargement 10.- Extending diametrically thro-ugh the circumferentialenlargement is a peg 11 projecting at both ends thereof beyond thecircumferential. Obviously, however, the circuinferential enlargementand peg may be integral, that is to say, the circumferential enlargementmay be provided with integral projections coi-responding to theprojecting ends of the peg 11. The projecting ends of lthe peg 11 aredisposed in the slots 7, 7 and,

at the limit o-f movement of the firing-pin in one direction, areadapted to enter lateral off-set portions, or curved terminals, 12 ofthe slots 7, 7. Encircling the shank 8 of the iiring-pin is a coileddriving-spring 13 bearing against the collar 10 at one end, and at itsother end against an interior annular wall 14 in a screw closure 15provided with an axial recess 16 for the reception of the the stem orshank 8 of the tiring-pin when the latter moves in the directionthereof.

The normal position of the parts is as shown -in F ig. 1, in which thefiring-pin spring is uncompressed, and enlargement 10 bears against head6.

In operation, upon impact of the projectile carrying the fuse, theplunger 1 moves toward the firing-pin. Simultaneously, the firing-pin byits inertia, moves forward, thereby compressing the spring 13. In suchmovement, the projecting ends ofthe peg 11, move in the slots 7, 7 untilthey reach the off-set portions or curved terminals 12, 12 whereupon thefiring-pin twists, so that the projecting ends of the peg enter saidoft'- set portions.

So long as the resistance is such as to cause the inertia of thefiring-pin to produce a force greater thanv and counter to the force ofthe spring 13, thefiringpin spring remains compressed. When theresistance becomes insufficient to keep the tiring-pin springcompressed, the spring extends itself with a force equal to thediierence between the force due to the inertia of these parts and theforce of the spring. If the cessation is sufficiently sudden, the firingpin will be projected into the primer with suflicient force to explodethe same. If, however, the resistance should cease gradually, thetiring-pin spring would also extend gradually, and, consequently, thering pin, moving thus slowly under the in` tluence of theslowly-expanding spring, will not have sufficient force to fire theprimer. To obviate suoli occurrence, means are provided for retaidingthe extension of the spring until sufficient orce'is stored therein tofire the primer when the spring eXtends.

This retardation of action of the spring isaccomplished by cutting theinclined Walls 17 of the curved terminals 12, in Which the projectingends of the peg 11 rest, at -such an angle to the slots 7, 7 that itWill require a Jforce sufiiciently great to lire the primer to overcomefriction between the peg ends and said curved Walls' 17 and drive theprojecting ends of the peg into the longitudinal slots 7 7. It Will thusbe seen that a gradual cessation of resistance to penetration will notcanse the spring 13 to eX- tend gradually, but with sufficient force, inall cases, to ire the primer. The projecting ends of the peg 11 rotateout of the branches' or curved terminals 12, 12 and then, with alongitudinal movement, the firing-pin is propelled, under the action ofits driving spring, `against the primer.

It Willthus be seen that the fuse gives an automatic selective delay infiring, through mechanical means, the delay, in all cases, beingproportional to the resistance encountered.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

A fuse embodying, liring elements normally held spaced apart from eachother and movable upon impact in the same direction, one of saidelements carrying a detonator normally remote from the main explosivecharge and moved upon impact to a position adjacent said charge, meansenergized by movement of the other element on impact for impellingsaidelement toward its normal position rafter impact, and means for delayingthe action of said irnpelling means.

JOHN H. VOODBERRY.

